Images by Aphelandra Messer. Permission for use given for distribution in context of emoji
proposal.
Abstract:
We propose the encoding of a HEADSCARF emoji, as well the creation of a ZWJ sequence
WOMAN+SCARF to show a WOMAN IN A HEADSCARF or WOMAN IN A HIJAB emoji. We
also propose the accompanying
​
MAN IN A HEADSCARF (​keffiyah) emoji ZWJ sequence.

1

Above we show the HEADSCARF both as a loose item of clothing and also in “ghost” state,
with a phantom wearer.
***
In the age of digitalization, pictures prove to be a crucial element in communication.
Emojis are more impactful and utilized than ever before. Millions use them to convey
feelings, appearances and stories. We applaud Unicode for the diversification of emojis in
recent years. However, this does not mean it should stop now. With the amount of
difference in this world, we must be represented. We are here to discuss the addition of a
HEADSCARF emoji.
Islam, Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism all have something in
common: the significance of the headscarf or head covering as a demonstration of
piousness.
Roughly 550 million Muslim women on this earth pride themselves on wearing the hijab.
With this enormous number of people, not a single space on the keyboard is reserved for
them. Most obviously, women wearing the hijab aren’t mutually exclusive to one skin tone,
so with the help of the Fitzpatrick Modifier, we would be able to develop an emoji that
represents the religious and racial diversity that is present in the Muslim community.
In addition, headscarves are commonly worn by women in Eastern Orthodox Christian
communities in Russia and Romania, as well as some conservative Jewish communities.
Hijab in Arabic translates to “partition” or “barrier.”1 The hijab symbolizes modesty, privacy
and religious identity. Excluding family members, the hijab is worn in the presence of men.
Women all across the globe choose to wear the headscarf because of its evident
indication of their faith and identity. However, the hijab stretches much further than a
piece of cloth on your head. It also influences the way you talk, the way you act and
ultimately, your lifestyle. To say it’s an integral aspect of women’s lives is an
understatement.
The first mention of any sort of veiling dates back to 13 B.C, in an Assyrian text. Veiling
according to Assyrian Law, was reserved for upper-class women, ergo, women of less
respectable backgrounds were forbidden to wear it. The aim of these pre-Islamic veils was
to create a divide between the upper and lower class. By 627 C.E., the headscarf was
introduced into the Arab Peninsula, after the "verse of the hijab" was introduced
As we mentioned above, headscarves equally play a role in Orthodox Judaism and
Catholicism. It’s been a tradition for around 2000 years that Catholic women cover their
hair during times of worship, this is mainly concentrated in areas like Russia and Romania.

Hair covering in Jewish communities exists, particularly, for married women to maintain
modesty and privacy.

Factors for Inclusion:
A.​ Compatibility:
The only social platform we are aware of that provides emojis of a woman in a hijab ​is
Bitmoji​, now part of Snapchat, one of the most popular social platforms in the world. You
have the option of adding a hijab to your avatar.

B. ​Expected Usage Level:
i) ​Frequency​:
There is an extremely high expected frequency level of this emoji as shown below:
●

●

●

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As of 08/26/2016, when typing “hijab” into the tags search bar on Instagram, you
will receive 15.6 million photos. On the other hand, searching for “turban” you will
receive 732,000 photos.
Usage of this emoji will be predominantly in Muslim countries. This includes
Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, where the Muslim
population is 202 million. In Egypt, the 15th most populous country in the world, the
percentage of women wearing headscarves is 90%.2
Widely popular hijabi fashion blogger, Sondos Alqattan, (2.1 million Instagram
followers as of 08/26/2016) is an example of the prevalence and popularity of hijab
culture.

The demand for hijabs is significantly greater than that of turbans as seen on
Google trends photo below in both English and Arabic. “Hijab” (‫)​ﺍﻟﺤﺠﺎﺏ‬ ​is blue and
“turban” (‫)​ﻋﻤﺎﻣﺔ‬ ​is red in both languages.

ii) Multiple Usages:
A headscarf has both religious and non-religious meanings:
• Women wear headscarves across many religions as a sign of modesty, including parts
of Christianity and Judaism.
• This emoji can convey religious feelings.
• This emoji can represent Ramadan, Eid and any religious celebrations.
4

• Women with cancer sometimes like to wear a headscarf; this emoji could come to hand.
• Or simply a woman that enjoys wearing a headscarf

C. ​Image Distinctiveness:
Currently, there is no image of a woman with headgear of any sort, though there is a MAN
WITH TURBAN. There will be women with headgear in the new batch of
professional-related ZWJ-sequence emoji — PILOT, ASTRONAUT, CHEF, GRADUATE,
ARTIST, among others. However, these are all visually distinct from the WOMAN IN A
HEADSCARF as their headgear generally has some distinct iconic meaning drawn from
their definable shapes.
D. ​Completeness:
The WOMAN IN A HEADSCARF would be a terrific addition to the MOSQUE and ISLAM
SYMBOL emojis, as the HIJAB is one of the most globally recognized iconic
representations of Islam.
E. ​Frequently Requested:
• The request for a HIJAB emoji is ranked 5th on Emojipedia.3
• ​Buzzfeed created a page of emojis that should be added, and hijab is mentioned twice.4
• In an attempt to promote individuality and gender equality, an opinion writer requested
the WOMAN IN A HEADSCARF emoji on the New York Times website.5
Factors for Exclusion:
F​. Overly Specific:
The WOMAN IN A HEADSCARF emoji preserves a generic approach to head coverings.
There are multiple types of headscarves depending on the area of the world (​chador,
shayla and ​al-amira). However, the hijab is recognized as the universal and basic image of
a headscarf.
G. ​Open-Ended:
The addition of the hijab emoji will prove to be a step forward in tolerance and diversity. It
is distinctive and holds a lot of spiritual meaning to millions of women across the globe,
recognizing its importance will ultimately showcase great appreciation from the Muslim
community.
3

H. ​Already Representable
There is no emoji that exists which represents a visibly devout Muslim woman. The
closest thing is the MAN WITH A TURBAN. However, he is commonly used to represent
Sikhism. If absolutely necessary, in some situations one could place the ISLAM emoji next
to the WOMAN emoji. Nonetheless, this will lead to ambiguity and vagueness. As we have
previously mentioned, not all women who wear headscarves are Muslim.
I.​ Unsuitability?
Our proposal of a WOMAN WITH HEADSCARF emoji is suitable for encoding as character.
It does not contain any references to deities, logos, specific people, historical or living.
J. ​Transient:
This image is anything but short-term. Due to the ever-growing Muslim population around
the world, this emoji will only increase in demand. According to the Pew study, if trends
continue, Islam will make up 29.7% of the world’s population by 20506 . Currently, it stands
at 23.2%. Muslims are expected to become 50% of the population in 51 countries.
Moreover, Hijabis are becoming more recognized than ever, especially in sports, fashion
and politics. The Olympian Muslim fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad, became the first
hijab-wearing American to compete. She won a Bronze medal in Sabre fencing in the 2016
in Rio Olympics.7 Hijabis are beginning to model and be further accepted into mainstream
fashion.8
As of 08/25/16, the Scottish Police force approved of the hijab to become part of the
uniform, in the interest of “creating a more diverse force.”9
All these links prove that hijabs are being more and more represented in all aspects of life,
and now it’s time for technology to do the same.
About the submitters:

Rayouf Alhumedhi (​rayoufalhumedhi@gmail.com​) ​is a 15­year­old high school student
living in Berlin, Germany, where she moved in 2012. She takes keen interest in issues
concerning social equality. She has been wearing a hijab since she was 13 years old. She
became interested in emoji after trying to find an image to represent her and her friends on
her iPhone keyboard. After first writing in on Apple’s website, she finally learned from
Mashable’s Snapchat story how to properly submit a proposal to Unicode.

Aphelandra Messer (​aphmesser@gmail.com​) is a freelance illustrator/graphic designer
based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her creative pursuits include children’s illustration, typography,
book design, and emoji design.
Jennifer 8. Lee (​jenny@jennifer8lee.com​) is a founder of Emojination, whose motto is
“emoji by the people, for the people.” She is also an organizer of Emojicon, a conference
that celebrates emoji that will take place in November 4-6 in San Francisco.
Alexis Ohanian (​a@reddit.com​) is the co-founder of Reddit, tech investor, and bestselling
author, ​Without Their Permission.